There just
>>> really isn't any punishment for writing buggy software
>>> like there for designing a building that collapses.
>>>

Remember the Holiday Inn, was it Kansas City, where the walkway
collapsed. The Structural Engineer of record (the one that affixed his
seal and signature to the drawings), was tried for manslaughter. And
there are others too.

> we can (generally) build a bridge that is going to last
> 100 years.

I-35 bridge, and a few years ago, I-90 in Eastern Ohio, had a similar
problem, fortunately it was caught when suddenly there was a sudden bump
in the bridge deck a few years ago, and in the early 1900's, the Quebec
Bridge across the St. Lawrence failed twice during construction, but it
still is in use today. The trend is to retire people early, where the
experience is. Bridge design and construction, is today, well defined,
except for some exceptional projects, following good design and
construction practices results in a good bridge. In some instances, in
particular in some foreign lands where well established building codes
are not followed, or corruption exists, it's a disaster waiting to
happen. :(